Promoter pay
Promoter contract terms glossary.
The words that decide how much a promoter is paid, defined in one place, with the question to ask about each.
Most disputes are about definitions, not percentages. This glossary defines the terms our promoter calculators use and lists what they do not cover, so you can spot what a deal leaves unsaid.
Glossary
- Names submitted
- People you add to a list. Ask: is pay based on this number?
- Check-in
- A person counted at the door as your guest. Ask: who counts, by what method, and until what time?
- Show rate
- Check-ins divided by names. In our tools it is always something you enter, never a benchmark.
- Per-head rate
- Dollars per person you are paid on.
- Gross
- Ticket or door revenue before deductions. Ask: after refunds?
- Net
- Revenue after deductions such as costs, fees or comps. Ask: which deductions, and who approves them?
- Flat commission
- One percentage of sales for all sales.
- Tiered commission
- Rates that change with sales level.
- Marginal tier
- A higher rate applies only to sales above the breakpoint.
- Cliff or retroactive tier
- Reaching a breakpoint raises the rate on all sales. Ask which one the wording means.
- Bonus threshold
- A sales level after which an extra amount per ticket is paid.
- Door split
- Door takings shared between venue and promoter at an agreed percentage.
- Costs before split
- Items deducted before sharing, such as door staff and security. Ask for the list or a cap.
- Comp
- A free entry. Ask whether comps count as heads.
- Refund window
- The period in which sales can still be refunded.
- Clawback
- Recovery of commission already paid, for example on refunds. Ask the conditions and time limit.
- Payout date
- When money is due and how it is sent.
- Minimum payment
- An amount owed whatever the night does (not modelled). Our tools do not model it.
- Independent contractor
- A worker who is generally self-employed rather than an employee; see the IRS page cited below.
What this does not cover
This glossary and the calculators that link to it do not cover: legal advice or contract drafting, event licensing and alcohol regulation, employment-status tests for your situation, table or bottle-service commission, sponsorship deals, or what rates venues or platforms actually pay. Definitions here are general; your agreement controls, and results vary by deal.
Where to use the terms
Test the numbers with the per head calculator, the tiered commission calculator and the door split calculator, then read how promoter commission works for the deal checklist.
Tax note
Money paid to a promoter who is an independent contractor is generally self-employment income, and the payer may report it on Form 1099-NEC. That is general information from the IRS pages above, not tax or legal advice. How you are classified, what you owe and what you can deduct depends on your facts, so check the official pages or ask a qualified preparer.
Sources
Retrieved October 2026. All rates, show rates, percentages, tiers and splits on this page are numbers you type in from your own deal; none comes from a source below.
- Ticket Fairy, promoter and affiliate commission calculator: a ticketing vendor's page, cited only for the common ways commission is structured (flat percentage, flat fee per ticket, percentage plus per-ticket bonus). Its figures are not used here.
- Fourvenues blog on promoter guest-list data: a nightlife software vendor's argument that pay should follow verified check-ins rather than names submitted. A vendor view, not an industry standard.
- IRS: Independent contractor (self-employed) or employee?
- IRS Topic 554: Self-employment tax and About Form 1099-NEC
- Canada Revenue Agency: sole proprietorships and partnerships (for readers outside the US)
FAQ
What is the difference between a check-in and a name?
A name is someone you listed; a check-in is someone counted as arriving. Pay can be based on either.
What is a clawback in a promoter deal?
Recovery of commission already paid, commonly when tickets are refunded. The conditions are set by the deal.
What is a marginal tier?
A tier where the higher rate applies only to sales above the breakpoint, not to earlier sales.
Is this legal advice?
No. It is general information; ask a qualified professional to review an actual agreement.